Fuels management flight powers RED FLAG-Alaska 09-1

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  There's one thing the jets, helicopters and land vehicles have in common here: They're all fueled by the 354th Logistics Readiness Squadron's fuels management flight.

The fuels management flight has such an important role in Eielson's mission and capabilities that without it, nobody on base would be able to get around. That's a pretty big responsibility considering Eielson is the host to RED FLAG-Alaska, a realistic 10-day air combat exercise that on average, is host to more than 700 extra people and up to 60 additional aircraft.

"The fuels-tempo increases dramatically depending on the influx of planes for RED FLAG-Alaska," said Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Marshall, 354th Logistic Readiness Squadron's fuels manager. "We have the capability to store more than 28 million gallons of fuel and a good portion of it is used to power Pacific Air Force Command exercises, Eielson's daily operations and arctic rescue missions."

To cater to this influx of personnel and aircraft, the fuels management flight gained six Airmen assigned temporarily from Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea; McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.; and MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. These assigned Airmen will assist the current fuels management flight with performing more than 1,100 aircraft servicings with more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel during the two-week duration of RED FLAG-Alaska 09-1.

From start to finish the fuels management flight has a tedious job. They receive and store all in-bound fuel from the local refinery; within the fourth largest fuel depot in the Air Force. The fuels laboratory technicians test the fuel for various additives such as fuel system icing inhibitor, corrosion inhibitor and conductivity additive. This ensures the JP-8 used by various aircraft and JP-4 used by the 210th Rescue Squadron's Sikorsky HH-60 Pavehawk helicopters meets or exceeds Department of Defense standards for use.

Rigorous attention to detail keeps the fuels management flight on top of their mission, so the rest of the Iceman Team can accomplish theirs.

"If something were to go wrong with the fuels mission, it could not only mean that the mission does not get accomplished, but it can also have more devastating effects," said Staff Sgt. Scott Eggleston, NCO in charge of the fuels lab. "We have to make sure that all the fuels' compounds are in proper proportion or it could possibly cost lives or damage the aircraft."